Fire & Ice: A Castle Story
by OurUnsungHeroes42344
Summary: New Castle Fic! T for language, danger and safety. AU. Ryan/Espo/Castle Bromance Bonding. Ryan whump! Caring Espo! Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice... A snowstorm. A mountain. A Bro's weekend away. A long Car ride with Castle. What could go Wrong? Answer: Everything. HIATUS
1. A Very Long Car Trip wCastle

Fire and Ice

A Castle Fanfic by ChrisPerryRyan11

AU set after 'Under Fire' before S7.

'Some say the world will end in Fire

Some say in Ice' ~Robert Frost

"Bro, maybe you should slow down a little, I don't know about you, but I can barely see out the window, let alone the road," suggests Detective Kevin Ryan hesitantly from the passenger seat of his partners cushy police outfitted sports car.

Besides him the Irishman's partner is leaned over as far as his seatbelt allows, driving 'white knuckled', attempting to see through the near white-out of snow. "Shut up, will you? I'm fine," his voice is tight and he grits out the sentence through gritted teeth.

The world around them is completely white and the only shapes they can see clearly jump out at them moments before they pass out of the headlights.

"1 novel of mystery on the wall, 1 novel of mystery, take one down pass it around, 0 novels of mystery on the wall!" Ryan breathes a brief sigh of sweet relief before the author starts back up again. "99 novels of mystery on the wall, 99 novels of mystery, take one down pass it around, 98 novels-"

"CASTLE!" Detective Javier Esposito hollers, finally loosing his last shred of already strained patience with the writer. "Would you Shut The Hell Up already!? Can't you see I'm trying to get us out of this alive? I Really, Really Don't need another rendition of '99 beers on the wall' Thank You Very Much!"

Richard Castle, seated in the back, huffs in annoyance but falls silent, Ryan releases another sigh of relief, that's unfortunately also short-lived. "Hey! Hey Ryan! Guess what I know," the writer says in Ryan's ear.

"What Castle? What do you know?" The detective asks, knowing the writer wouldn't shut up until he responded.

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. Buh Buh Buh..." the writer might've continued on indefinately but Ryan pops open the glove compartment and produces a roll of shiny silver fabric and a pair of metal cuffs.

The writer promptly shuts up, but starts unknowingly humming to himself, he'd only succeeded in getting the infernal song stuck in His head.

Finally able to fully concentrate on the road Espo and Ryan sit in the comfortable silence, both peering into the wall like snowfall. Ryan pauses from his self assigned job of adding another set of eyes on the road to consult a road map. "Shit," he comments half-heartedly.

"What now Bro?" Espo asks, momentarily distracted by the younger detective's worrisome comment.

"Did you happen to see a sign in the last few minutes that said 'Townsend Pass'? Perhaps while I was detaining Castle," asks Ryan anxiously.

Esposito feels his heart sink a little. "Possibly, yes. Was that our turn? If it was we may be just a little screwed, cause that was a while ago if memory serves."

Ryan's anxiety spikes. "According to this map, yes. We may be screwed unless we find a turn around point."

"I don't see what the problem is guys, we're the only ones crazy enough to be out here in this storm so a u-turn should solve all our problems," the car slows to a slippery stop and both glaring detectives slowly turn to face the writer. "Why are you guys lookin' at me like that?"

"Castle! We're not in the city anymore! We're on some skinny road several hundred feet higher than normal above sea level! Executing a u-turn in normal conditions here would be risky and take hours, in these conditions forget it," explains Ryan, trying to remain calm.

"So Quit Backseat Driving!" Espo exclaims in frustration.

Castle holds up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay bad idea. Hey, Ryan, are there any other roads marked on that map in, oh let's say the next 10 miles?"

Ryan, puzzled, consults the map. "Nope, there's not another for about 15 miles. Why?"

Castle pales and gulps before pointing past the steering wheel. "Our idiot light just turned on, we're just about out of gas," as if on cue the car dings loudly.

All three men glance, in unison, at the blinking light and then each other. "Oh Shit," says Espo, turning the car off, basically summing all their thoughts in one word.

"Espo, this is a Dodge Charger, correct?" A nod. "That means we've got 35 miles til empty. Ryan, how far do we go on Townsend Pass?"

Ryan once again consults the map, his bright blue eyes sweeping back and forth across the page. Eventually he swallows hard and looks up. "About 20 miles and since we're 5 miles past the turn,"

"That gives us 10ish extra miles for the u-turn and the weather conditions. That is based on the '35 miles until empty' statistic I'm using, which by the way factors in normal conditions," finishes Castle.

"This is by no means normal so I think the vote would be unanimous," adds Esposito.

All three men share a grim look about their dire situation before nodding. "Yeah, U-turn it is."

Esposito turns the car back on. "Buckle up everyone this is gonna be Real fun."

Carefully he pulls the car back into the middle of their lane and slowly begins to execute the U-turn. All seems to be fine when Espo finally manages to get the car sideways, completing the trickiest part of the maneuver, all three occupants breathe sighs of relief.

Castle absentmindedly glances out the window on his side, the side that was now facing the way they'd been going, he peers through the smokescreen of snow. 'Was that? Yep.'

An SUV. A black SUV barreling straight at them. Castle finds himself without words and Espo moves the car, with Ryan's help, into a position that had their back end precariously close to the ledge, their front end in the path of oncoming traffic.

When it's right on top of them the spell on Castle breaks just as the SUV's brights blind the three friends. "Look Out!"

Then there's noise, shouts, curses, sharp light, it all ends in dark, coldness and a half-hearted comment. "Well, Shit," and everything goes black.

Chapter 2 coming soon! Perhaps even November 21st depending on reviews, perhaps even sooner.

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	2. Suspended

Happy Veteran's Day dear reader! That being said this short inpromptu sneak peak chapter (this Is a Real chpt btw) is dedicated to anyone who's ever served or is currently serving our country as part of our military. Special dedication: My Uncle Bob and our very own hispanic detective Jon Huertas. Additional Author Notes at bottom.

Chapter 2: Suspended

Previously on Castle... Then there's noise, shouts, curses, sharp light, it all ends in dark, coldness and a half-hearted comment. "Well, Shit," and everything goes black.

Detective Javier Esposito wakes to blinding pain in his head and confusion. 'What the Hell?' He wonders to himself why in the Hell it's so damn cold and why his head hurts. 'Was Lanie over?'

It's then his memories come flooding back: the snowstorm, the agonizingly long 11 hours of a Very bored, Very Annoying writer, the u-turn, a black SUV, Castle, Kevin. It's then he becomes fully aware of his surroundings, including the seatbelt currently biting into his sore neck.

Opening his eyes he barely contains a yell of panic upon seeing the view out the shattered windshield. The seatbelt biting into his neck and waist is the only thing holding him suspended in ,what is basically, mid-air above a dizzying drop that is surely deadly.

Carefully testing his body, checking for any seriously debilitating injuries, he determines he's strong enough to hold himself inside the remnants of the car. Wrapping his arm around the seatback he takes a deep breath and unbuckles his seatbelt. It zooms back into place without any incident and the cuban lowers his feet ever so carefully onto the solid pieces of car, silently thanking the Lord for his skinny windshield.

It's only then he notices the small pool of blood, slowly growing larger with each crimson drop that lands on a shard of remaining windshield. Swallowing his panic the homicide detective's eyes find the source and his heart skips a beat. "Kevin!"

Above him Detective Kevin Ryan doesn't stir, he remains limp in his seatbelt, blood dripping from a large gash in the Irishman's deathly pale forehead. Esposito fights to remain calm as he scans his brother's body, looking for any other life-threatening injuries, his breath catches upon noticing the awkwardly twisted angle of his left arm and leg, both seem to be trying to bond with the twisted metal of the car. His best guess is somehow the car had caught and twisted around a rock or tree on the edge of the cliff they'd gone off.

A gust of freezing air sweeps through the car, chilling him to the bone and shaking the precariously balenced car, the wind also brings another cause for the Cuban to shiver, the undeniable and most unwelcome scent of smoke and gas. 'Shit.'

Fighting off full blown panic he oh so carefully pries open the glove compartment and removes the handcuffs and ducktape Ryan had threatened Castle with earlier. 'Wait, where is Castle?'

Casting his glance wildly about the car he spots the writer sprawled out between his and Ryan's seat on the writer appears to be mostly unharmed and begins to stir. "Castle, don't move, just listen. I don't know exactly how but the car managed to twist itself around something unfortunately suspending us headfirst over a cliff. If that wasn't enough the windshield's all but gone and I can smell gas. An-and Ry-ryan," his voice breaks on the name. "He's hurt real bad Bro, I'm gonna need your help to get him out of here. You got me?" A nod. "Good, there's a black duffel in the back you need to carefully climb back and get it. There should also be some rope, an army knife and a crowbar."

Castle ever so slowly scrambles over behind his seat and lands amoung the suitcases and other supplies they'd packed for their boy's weekend/murder investigation. Finding the duffel he unzipe it and pulls out the three requested items. "Now what?"

"You need to get out and find someplace to secure that rope, just in case the car decides to go. Break the glass with the crowbar and Carefully toss me the knife as well as One end of the rope. Keep the other end with you and take the black bag. I've got to get Ryan out."

"Espo, I'm not gonna leave you two here to die, what if I can't find a place to secure the rope in time? What happens to you and Ryan then?" Castle argues, reluctant to leave his friends behind.

"If you don't we're all dead. This thing could go at any moment taking Ryan with it, or the car could explode, he's too badly hurt to save himself and I won't, can't, leave him. You have to do this Castle. If you can't find a place for the rope put that Overactive Writer Imagination of yours to work," urges Esposito. "Look, I'm not gonna argue with you about this Castle."

Castle casts a long despairing glance at the two detectives ,of whom he now thought of brothers, before tying the rope around the knife and carefully lowering it down to Espo's waiting hands. He pulls the strap of the black bag over his shoulder and raises his arm, crowbar and rope tightly in hand, turning away he smashes the crowbar into the glass, effectively shattering it.

Below him Espo shelters Ryan as much as he can from the falling glass and they all hold their breath as Castle slowly crawls out of the car with the rope and duffel in tow.

Miraculously the car stays put and Castle stumbles back upon exiting the sheltered vehicle when a strong, bone-chilling gust of freezing wind and snow accosts the unprepared writer.

Shivering the author dumps the heavy duffel off to the side, relieving his shoulder of the weight, be spins in a slow, observant circle, scanning the details of the unfamiliar landscape.

'Well then,' basically all he can see is cliffs and white. Behind him Espo might've hollered but the wind and the groaning of the car as it shudders forwards drowns out any definitive cry. 'So this Is Hell.'

Reviews are an author's favorite birthday present.

Again Happy Veteran's Day Jon_Huertas! Thank you to all of America's Vets!


	3. Fire

Chapter 3: Fire

Previously on Castle... Behind him Espo might've hollered but the wind and the groaning of the car as it shudders forwards drowns out any definitive cry.

Castle whips around and stares, frozen for a moment, as the car shudders further over the icy precipice. Snapping out of his stupor Castle makes his way around the car, eventually locating the twisted remnants of the tree that had saved their lives. Silently thanking the heavens for sending him the crazy idea to attend sailing camp -despite not owning a sailboat, nor particularly wanting one- because all those knots are about to come in handy.

Deciding that the writer was listening to his directions Esposito turns back towards his injured brother. Before he can do anything to help the younger man another gust of wind sweeps through the broken car and -to the former soldier's horror- the car begins to move closer to certain death for the two brothers.

"CASTLE!" The vet hollers one more time -praying that the writer heard his call to 'get his ass moving'- before returning his full attention to the Irishman dangling above him.

Esposito positions himself underneath his brother's body bracing himself amongst the steel of the ruined car before giving a final yank with his army knife, releasing his brother from the leather restraints and into his arms.

Ooff!

The air gusts out of his body with the sudden added weight of the unconscious Irishman. Sucking in much needed air, Javi's lungs tingle with cold from the bitter, smoke tinged wind as he secures part of the rope around Ryan's waist, sliding the loop up to the man's shoulders before tightening it and tying himself in.

Espo tugs on the rope, trying to signal Castle, as the car begins to slide forwards at what seems to be an increased pace. No response. Then, if things couldn't be worse, small red orange flames escape from under the ruined hood.

The smoke had just turned to fire.

After triple checking his knots one last time Castle blunders hurriedly back around to check on the condition of the younger detectives he now thought of as brothers. He wouldn't admit this to anyone but in some ways the two younger detectives were more than his brothers. When Lockwood had them captive and when they'd been trapped in that fire the surge of anger at the people responsible, the desire to protect them and the overwhelming fear that he'd never see them again was akin to a feeling he'd only experienced with Alexis. Until that point on time he hadn't realized how much the junior detectives meant to him. They were more than his brothers, his partners, his family, they were like sons to him. So as he blunders through the blinding storm the sound that reaches his ears next chills him to the bone more than the wind ever could. Fire. The car was on fire.

Javier Esposito was a battle hardened soldier, but he was no stranger to PTSD. He'd experienced in first hand and then again in the aftermath of Beckett's shooting. And now, sitting it the wreck of his car with his best friend unconscious on his chest, the sight of the deadly flames creeping towards them brought back bad memories. The fire he and Ryan had been trapped in only a few months ago...

"Javier? You're gonna name a white, Irish kid, Javier?" He'd asked Kevin that question after his partner's heartbreaking goodbye to his wife Jenny, in truth he'd been truly touched and honored by what they'd thought would be one of Ryan's last actions.

"What? You gonna bust on me now for being sentimental?" His partner had tossed back.

"Figured it's my last chance," had been his comment and maybe it was the craziness of the situation, but in the face of death they'd both laughed, a weak, sad chuckle. He remembers barely lifting his head and not hearing what Ryan said next, later he was told he'd passed out. Castle, he remembers annoyed, had been happy to inform him that Kevin proceeded to run over shouting his name before putting his head on his chest for a moment before passing out himself.

And now here they were stuck in danger of either being smashed into sludge or roasted alive in a freaking snowstorm no less, talk about ways to go. Not the hail of bullets he'd always pictured. In his mind, after meeting Kevin, his death had always been in a storm of bullets, side by side with his partner, protecting each other till the wheels fall off. But no, here they were, about to die unless Castle hurried his ass up, life just threw you curveballs like that sometimes, especially if you spent everyday with Richard Castle. If they all got of this Javier swears to himself that he'd make Castle base his next book entirely on him and Ryan, without the whole underlying "Roach" thing Castle had been delighted to share with them via fanfiction.

By the time Castle reaches the back of the car, it's so far over the cliff's edge he has no idea how it's still suspended. Carefully approaching the now flaming car Castle squints down, searching for his friends through the snow and smoke, "ESPOSITO?! RYAN?! Can You Hear Me? The Rope's Secure! Now What? Javier?! Kevin?!"

Castle can't see them at all and as he strains to hear or see anything he stumbles back after a particularly violent gust of smoky wind shoves him back. It's then the car rips free of the mangled tree and topples over the cliff. Castle hears a sudden inhuman scream of pure unadulterated agony before it vanishes. "NOO!"

To my reviewers...(sorry I forgot before)

Guest1: I fixed it, but you already know that. Thanks for the tip and I hope you find this again.

Genevieve Kelly: Thanks for both reviews and I'm glad you like it! It's not just me then, I torture my fave characters so... hence this story. I look forwards to hearing from you again.

Guest2: I don't know if you're the same guest as chpt 1, but if you are again thanks for the tip and I'm glad you found this again. If not, a sorry for the confusion and b, I will avoid that from now on, thanks for the tip and I hope I haven't deterred you off this story.

Reviews make my day and I look forward to hearing from everyone who reads this again. Like Castle/Ryan? I have other fics. Special thanks to Genevieve Kelly!


	4. I dream of Fire

Chapter 4: Dreams of Fire

Previously on Castle... It's then the car rips free of the mangled tree and topples over the cliff. Castle hears a sudden inhuman scream of pure unadulterated agony before it vanishes. "NOO!"

It's cold. It's really cold. Why is it so cold? Isn't it supposed to be warm in heaven? After all, I have to be dead. The car had gone off the cliff, there's no way I could've survived. All I can see is black and I can't move, but I can feel though. I can definitely feel. Cold, confusion, burning pain, weight, a digging sensation. Frustrated, that's what I am, I'm really frustrated right now. Then I'm falling. Or am I? The cold, confusion and burning pain is still there, but the weight and digging sensation have vanished. I'm numb, I realize, I can feel, but I can't feel. I can feel the different sensations but not the part of my body that's effected. A new sense returns to me, smell. Cold, blood, sweat, oil...fire. Oh no.

In a flash I'm not in the dark, but in a building, running as the floor gives out underneath me. Everything goes black once more before I wake to a world of fire. I'm back in the burning building, the arsonist's lair, the one called "The Phantom". I still can't move or do anything really, it's like I'm there but at the same time I'm not. I can feel the flames, the heat, the rapidly disappearing air, but at the same time I'm cold.

Then it hits me: the car is on fire. It's the only thing that makes sense, I'm dying in the burning car at the bottom of the cliff, my banged up body and addled mind can't make sense of what's happening, it's too much, explaining my strange experience. In a flash the buliding vanishes and darkness returns.

My situation is painful, uncomfortable and confusing. I wonder how much longer it will last. I wonder how long my body will keep fighting. I wonder how long before I'm dead. I wonder how much longer I have to suffer. I hope the others are dead. Not stuck in limbo. Full of pain. Full of confusion. Full of wanting. Wanting for it to be over. Wanting to be dead. But that's not entirely true, I don't want to die, but at the same time I don't want to live. If I miraculously survive this, I'll be the only one. There's no chance we all survived this. And if I do somehow survive and wake all the way up, here at the bottom of the cliff, I'll still die. Nobody knows where we are and nobody's expecting to hear anything for days. I'm already dead. Miracles do happen though and if we're found what will be left, two dead bodies and the broken, hollowed out shell of a man.

Oh god, Kate. This will destroy her. And Jenny. Sweet, innocent, beautiful, shy, loving Jenny. And my beautiful, perfect little angel, Sarah Grace. I don't want to leave them but I'm already halfway gone, if I survive the empty husk that replaces me will only be a painful reminder. Better I die here in the snow with my brothers. I really hope they didn't suffer like I am now.

For once I wish they were dead. All of them gone, so they don't have to deal with the pain. Jenny, Sarah Grace, Javi, Kate, Rick, Lanie, Gates, Jim Beckett, Martha, Alexis. I wish they were all dead, dead and gone. Javi and Rick are most definitely dead already, or on their way, they shouldn't have to suffer. The others: Jenny, Sarah Grace, Kate, Jim Beckett, Martha, Alexis, they shouldn't have to deal with the loss of losing them all at once.

Jenny and Sarah Grace shouldn't have to struggle to get by without him.

Kate would break down, losing all of them at once. She and Castle had just gotten engaged and now she has no one to lean on, no one else who knows the truth. The truth about Captain Montgomery, Senator Bracken and her mother's murder.

And her father, Jim Beckett, shouldn't have to live with the slow descent his daughter would start, the pain it would cause both of them.

Martha and Alexis would be devastated.

Lanie too, although she and Javi were technically done, I'd still had hope for "Esplanie" working out in the end. Kate's spiral would hurt Lanie too on top of everything.

Everyone would hurt and it would be all our fault, but, if they were all dead too they wouldn't hurt, not as much. They'd all be together again, a family, forever. Kate would have her mom back and they'd have Captain Montgomery back. Everything would be okay again.

In that one single moment I realize I'm ready now, I'm ready to go. I calm myself, trying to signal my body to give up, let go, be at peace. Everything begins to fade away, the pain, cold, fire, it all begins to fade and vanish as my tired body gives in at last. I conjure up a picture of Jenny and Sarah Grace in my mind, so the last thing I see will be pure and peaceful, beautiful and light.

Then, just as I go numb, a bolt of blinding, surging pain shoots through my being, originating at my leg. My eyes snap open. I hear Javi yelling incoherently. The crackling of flames. The groaning of the car. The howling wind. The pain in my leg continues to climb with a vengeance, doubling then tripling. I hold back my screams. As the pain builds I feel like I might explode. Release my pain to the world or burst. A bloodcurdling scream rips it's way out of my being. I hear Castle yelling. Then the pain becomes much too much and everything goes black.

My last thought?

They're alive.


	5. Not Alone

Chapter 5: Not alone

Previously on Castle... It's then the car rips free of the mangled tree and topples over the cliff. Castle hears a sudden inhuman scream of pure unadulterated agony before it vanishes. "NOO!"/ /I hear Castle yelling and then the pain becomes much too much and everything goes black. My last thought? They're alive.

The car starts falling past them and Javier throws himself towards the center of the car, taking Ryan with him. Praying to God that Castle had succeeded in securing the rope that would save their lives. He chuckles despite the situation. 'Oh God, I'm putting our lives in Castle's hands. How the hell did we get here?'

Castle regains bodily function and races for the precipice, falling to his knees, tracing the rope in the snow, all the way over the cliff. The line is taught so someone or something must be holding onto the end of it. Mustering up his courage Castle peers carefully over the edge, following the rope with his eyes until it disappears into snowy oblivion, too far for him to see. His heart splits in two at the sight: No car, no detectives, no survivors, all except him that is. In that moment Richard Castle had never felt so Alone.

The car whooshes past them and they emerge from the back windshield with little to no extra harm. Javier isn't quite sure yet. 'Castle did it!' The two detectives now hang, spinning on the end of the rope, dangling above the drop. Javier looks up to see basically, well: Nothing.

He can see the white blowing, swirling snow and the rope holding them airborne at least until it too vanishes into the whiteout. As he looks he catches a glimpse of a slight almost imperceptible disturbance in the snow 'Castle!' But as soon as the disturbance is there it's gone. 'No. Wait!' Mustering up his strength Javier sucks in a deep breath before releasing it to fight against the wind and snow. "CASTLE! WE'RE HERE! HELP!"

Fighting back tears Castle slowly pulls away from the ledge in shock, 'what had gone wrong?' He sits back on his heels utterly defeated.

"Castle," the wind seems to whisper, taunting him with Javier's voice. He freezes, that was uncannily, undeniably Javier's voice. 'Wait. Could it be?'

Castle peers hurriedly over the ledge again, his ears and eyes straining. 'There!' He hears it again, they're alive!

"Esposito! Ryan! Can you hear me?"

'Oh thank God! He heard me!' Javier thinks upon hearing Castle yelling back. "Yes. I can hear you man! Pull us up already!"

'I'm not alone!' Castle thinks with joy and begins to haul the rope upwards towards him and safety for the two detectives.

Slowly but surely the rope begins to move skyward and soon enough Javier grabs hold of the rocky, icy cliff face. "Yo, Castle! Tie the rope off and get over here. I wanna see how much farther before we're up!"

Castle does as he's told before returning to the ledge, once again peering over the drop, but this time is different. This time he can see his two companions, so close he can almost reach them. Castle grins and waves down at them.

Javier Esposito never thought he'd be this happy to see that boyish grin and familiar face again. The last time seeing that smiling face had brought him this much joy had been when he and Kevin had been trapped in that burning building. But they'd found them and sent in fire crews, Castle and Beckett had been right there waiting to embrace them in open arms. Before that it had been when they were Lockwood's captives for several hellish hours before Castle and Beckett had found them, right in the nick of time too.

"How's Kevin?" Castle's question drags Javier back into the present. The weight on his back. His poor innocent partner. Kevin Ryan.

"Not good Bro. He woke up just for a second when the car went. Let out this godawful scream. I haven't heard much from him since then though."

Castle nods grimly, the smile fading fast. "I heard it too, thought it had to be him. Should I start pulling on the rope again?"

Esposito shakes his head. "Nope, not if we can help it. Can you reach us yet?"

Castle wiggles forwards a bit in the snow, reaching as far as he can for the single outstretched hand Javier offers. So close now. Their fingers touch for one brief moment but neither one can hang on. "Dammit!"

Esposito lowers his hand and scrambles a bit up the rocky face before stopping again, breathing heavily. "How bout now?"

Castle stretches out again and shouts in triumph when his hands close firmly around Javier's wrist. Pulling with all his might, Esposito pushing with his legs, Castle finally manages to drag the two detectives out of immediate danger. Castle lays flat on his back, panting, hand still holding Javier's wrist in a death grip. Said Detective lies face down in the snow so glad at that moment to be alive and relatively safe.

On top of him Kevin moans bringing both of the other men back to reality, they may be out of some danger for the time being but Kevin Ryan is another story.

"Castle get the bag," Espo orders, pulling out his knife to cut them free of the rope. Carefully rolling Kevin off him Javier places a finger to his neck, feeling for a pulse, mostly for reassurance.

Castle drops to the Irishman's other side the bag next to him, "oh God. Kev."

Kevin Ryan looks like he's on death's doorstep. His skin, although normally quite pale, is currently rivaling the steady snowfall for whitest in color. His face shinny with a sheen of cold sweat, his forehead burning with fever, hair matted by both blood and sweat.

Zipping the bag open, Javier pulls out first aid supplies and sets to work as best he can in the current conditions. Bandaging Kevin's head wound first, at this point in time his main goal is temporary. Stop or slow the blood until they could find shelter, get Kevin semi stable before setting out to find the shelter they desperately need.

Castle all this time has stayed uncharacteristically quiet, staring in shock at a point lower on Kevin's body: his legs.

Carefully Javier's fingers ghost over Kevin's chest and arms, checking for any serious injuries or broken bones that couldn't wait for later.

"Es-" Castle starts. "Es...Ja-javier. H-his l-legs," he finally manages, horrified by the sight.

Esposito freezes before taking a deep breath. "I know bro. I know." He's been avoiding looking at the lower half of his partner's body for fear of his fears being confirmed. "We need to find shelter. We'll need something to carry him on."

This seems to break the spell on Castle and he pulls away, blundering out of sight before returning with the car for door. "It broke off up here," he explains, also carrying the recoiled rope.

Esposito puts his supplies back in the bag and sets to work tying the rope to the car door to make a sled. Once he's satisfied with his work Javier lines the door up with Kevin's still form and returns to his partner's side. "We'll have to roll him. On three?"

Castle takes up his position with a nod. "On three."

"One...two...three!" Together Castle and Esposito carefully roll Ryan into the 'sled'.

Covering Ryan with a spare blanket from the bag before securing his brother in place Esposito stands and joins Castle (carrying the bag) at the head of the 'sled'. "We need to find shelter or we'll all be dead soon, including Ryan."

"I think I saw a safe route down to the bottom of this cliff when I was looking for a place to tie the rope," agrees Castle. "Once down we might find a cave or something."

"Nah, we should head up back towards the road, try and make it to your place," argues Esposito.

"Remember the SUV driving jerks who shoved us off? They're probably still up there, waiting for the storm to die down enough to confirm we're dead. Going back up with Ryan like this is suicide. As much as it would benefit us to be closer to my place rather than further we can't risk it, not yet," reasons Castle grimly.

"Fine, but we need to hurry."

Together the two friends begin the long trek down the mountainside, pulling their fallen companion behind them, fighting the weather intent on killing them.

Happy Holidays everyone! Blessed be!


End file.
